warthunderfandomcom-20200222-history
Fw 190 D-12
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-12 Würger «Dora» was a German fighter in service with the Luftwaffe from 1944 to 1945. A Tier 4 aircraft, the Fw 190 D-12 has an upfront cost of 1080000 . Design, Development, & History One of the best fighters of the time, the Fw 190 was widely used during the Second World War. A total of over 20,000 were produced, including some 6,000 fighter-bomber variants. The 190 remained in production from 1941 until the end of the war, going through multiple redesigns. The Fw.190 made a name for itself as a true Luftwaffe workhorse and was used in a wide variety of roles, including a high-altitude interceptor (especially the Fw.190D), escort fighter, fighter-bomber and night fighter. When the Fw 190 started flying operationally over France in August 1941, it quickly proved itself to be superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V. The 190 wrested air superiority away from the RAF until the introduction of the vastly improved Spitfire Mk. IX in July 1942 restored qualitative parity. The Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front in November/December 1942; though Soviet pilots considered the Bf 109 the greater threat, the Fw 190 made a significant impact. The fighter and its pilots proved just as capable as the Bf 109 in aerial combat, and in the opinion of German pilots who flew both, provided increased firepower and maneuverability at low to medium altitude. The Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force), along with the Bf 109. On the Eastern Front, the Fw 190 was versatile enough to use in Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings), specialised ground attack units which achieved much success against Soviet ground forces. As an interceptor, the Fw 190 underwent improvements to make it effective at high altitude, enabling it to maintain relative parity with its Allied opponents. The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above), which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor, but this problem was mostly rectified in later models, particularly in the Junkers Jumo 213 inline-engine Focke-Wulf Fw 190D series, which was introduced in September 1944. In spite of its successes, it never entirely replaced the Bf 109. The Fw.190 D 'Dora', or 'Long-Nosed 190' to the Allies, was intended as a temporary interim solution while the Ta.152 was being readied. However, the Dora ended up being one of the finest Focke-Wulf designs of the entire war. The aircraft was armed with two synchronised MG 17s and four wing-mounted MG 151s. Initially Luftwaffe pilots regarded the Dora with some suspicion. The Jumo 213 was believed to be a bomber engine and its installation on a fighter was considered a desperate measure. However, as soon as they had a chance to fight in the Dora-9, the pilots changed their minds. The new variant, compared to its BMW 801-powered predecessor, performed better in the vertical and in a dive. Additionally it had a phenomenal roll rate. The pilots quickly found that the Jumo 213-powered Focke-Wulf was superior to the venerable P-51B Mustang. A total of 650 to 700 Fw.190 D series fighters were produced. By December 1944, the Focke-Wulf plant in Marienburg produced 8 Fw.190 Ds each day, even though the factory appeared completely destroyed from the air. Category:Aircraft Category:Fighter Skins Category:German D-9 5/JG26 Listen airfield 1945: Shoot down 300 players Airfield Defence Squadron JV44 1945: Shot down 350 players